The “War on Drugs” has faded into the recesses of public consciousness since the turn of the century, overtaken by the events of 9/11 and the subsequent and ongoing events in the Middle East. Nonetheless, we are occasionally reminded of the former, through news reports such as the recent capture of Mexican drug lord and head of the Sinaloa Cartel, Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman, or through the...
In the opinion of one ‘self-proclaimed’ Bob Dylan expert Bob Dylan turns seventy-five this May. No other artist has a catalogue of songs as deep and diverse. No other artist has been as influential to music. Dylan is a musical icon of biblical proportions. In admiration of his five plus decades in writing and recording music, I thought it appropriate to provide an answer, once and for all, to the...
Best Picture Predictions and then some With November well underway, Oscar season is in full gear. It is the most wonderful time of the year for movie fans like me. From the end of September until the middle of January is where studios typically position releases of their ‘award-worthy’ films. This puts us smack in the middle of a busy period, and thankfully, because we need something to distract...
A Review and Look at November’s Biggest Sales in the Art World During the month of November, thousands flock to New York City, are wined and dined, raise their paddles in the air, and possibly lose a few zeros from their bank accounts. The New York sales by Sotheby’s, Christie’s and Phillips expect more than $2.1 billion (all prices in USD) to be sold in Impressionist, Modern, Post-War, and...
Who is Kurt Vile? I’ve been a fan of his music for a several years now, but his persona preserves some kind of mystical ambiguity in my head. The videos I’ve watched on YouTube and interviews I’ve read paint an incomplete picture of the singer/songwriter. Here is this reserved, lurchy, and awkward fella with outrageously long, curly hair—you instinctively want to write him off because there is no...
A bi-weekly roundup of legal television Midterm Grades (according to the Osgoode Bell Curve): Law and Order: SVU – C+ How To Get Away With Murder – B The Grinder – B The Good Wife – A Welcome to TV L Rev. A bi-weekly look at legal television. This edition looks at how the shows have been done with nearly a full semester under their belt. Overall, it’s been a fairly mediocre crop. Minor spoilers...
THE OLD BOND IS BACK FOR BETTER OR WORSE After the immense success and critical acclaim of Skyfall, it was almost inevitable that the subsequent Bond movie would fall short of many moviegoer’s heightened expectations. Unfortunately— thanks to a combination of questionable writing and an incredibly far-fetched plot—Spectre would not only do just that, but fall even further. Spectre starts off...
Concert Review: Blind Guardian plays The Danforth There are always dangers in revisiting your old favourites. I hadn’t seen Blind Guardian in almost a decade, not since their 2006 A Twist in the Myth album tour. The German power metal group was my favourite band during my formative years, but I was a different person now, living in a different city with different friends, different tastes...
Philadelphia’s Transformative Mural Arts Program For thousands of years, humanity has expressed themselves by creating imagery on walls, whether on caves, under bridges, or the sides of buildings. Graffiti ranges from simple written words, to elaborate paintings. Opinions remain varied on what is graffiti and what is art, with a struggle between the two. Before the explosion of street...
A woman’s place is the lab A woman’s place is dissecting a cadaver on a slab A woman’s place is as a statistician A woman’s place is as a master musician A woman’s place is operating a forklift or a crane A woman’s place is on higher spiritual plains A woman’s place is as a chemist, creating potions A woman’s place is in a clinic, providing free and safe abortions A woman’s place is as a...
Global Status of the Artist Acts originated from the 1980 UNESCO Recommendation concerning the Status of the Artist. Differing from other professions, those involved within the arts not only require social and labour protection, but also moral, economic and social rights that include income and social security. The UNESCO Recommendation and General Conference recognizes and affirms an intensive...
A bi-weekly roundup of legal television Week of October 1, 2015 – October 16, 2015 Episode Grades (according to the Osgoode Bell Curve) A – The Good Wife Episode 1 B+ – The Grinder Episode 2 B+ – HTGAWM Episode 2 B+ – L&O:SVU Episode 1+2 B – The Grinder Episode 3 B – The Good Wife Episode 2 B – L&O:SVU Episode 3 B – HTGAWM Episode 4 C – HTGAWM Episode 3 C – L&O:SVU Episode 4...
Food Adventure #3: Patria Name: Patria Location: 478 King Street West Category: Spanish tapas Atmosphere: Upscale, trendy, friendly Additional info: Has outdoor patio. Reservations recommended. Website: www.patriatoronto.com Today, we will be reviewing Patria – an acclaimed Spanish tapas eatery...
Live at the Danforth Music Hall, 30 September 2015 On 24 August, Destroyer released Poison Season on Merge Records, a modest four and a half years after the release of Kaputt. With a jammed-packed schedule of dates all across North America, Destroyer’s tour in support of the album looks gruelling,. The band stopped into Toronto’s Danforth Music Hall on September 30th and I was lucky enough...
THE BORGIAS Originally Aired On: Bravo!, Showtime Series Length: 3 seasons, 29 episodes Set during the turn of the 16th century, The Borgias follow the rise and fall of the notorious, Rodrigo Borgia, and his family, whose very name became a byword for depravity, nepotism, and corruption. The series begins in 1492, immediately following the death of Pope Innocent VIII, and sees Cardinal Borgia...
A bi-weekly roundup of legal television Week of 28 September 2015 – 1 October 2015 Welcome to TV L Rev, a bi-weekly review column of scripted legal television shows currently airing. Lawyers and shows about them are an enduring staple of television content. Spanning genres from serious dramas to comedies, there is always a legal show somewhere on television. There appears to be something...
A Netflix Guide to Shaking an Early Fall Cold With the chilly weather and the beginning of cold and flu season upon us, many of us are hunkering down, spending more time indoors and doing what some of us do best – “Netflix and chill”. Like my colleagues who have reviewed television in other excellent articles within this issue, I too have decided to write about what is on our favourite streaming...
Part One: The Artist Resale Right Over the next year, I have decided to pen a series of articles on a topic that remains very near and dear to me—artist rights and advocacy for visual artists. During my time at Sotheby’s Institute of Art in London a few years ago, I authored Resolving the Starving Artist Cliché —a guide on implementing international schemes into Canada to assist access to justice...
Live at Massey Hall, 4 September 2015 The Tallest Man on Earth is the moniker of Swedish folk-singer Kristian Matsson. Contrary to what his stage name suggests, Matsson is no bigger than your average horse jockey. His voice, however, is larger than life and is an integral part of his music. It bolts out the speaker like a horse from the turnstile at the start of a race. Matsson is touring this...
A Plea and a Recipe I couldn’t possibly overstate the benefits of home cooking. It’s way less expensive, often healthier, and produces little to no garbage in comparison to eating out. It can (and should) be tastier, and more interesting as well. It’s pretty much better in every way. But of course, everybody knows these things… And yet, it seems like people are cooking fewer and fewer of their...
Food Adventure #3: Earls Kitchen and Bar Name: Earls Kitchen and Bar Location: 150 King Street West Category: Restaurant, bar Atmosphere: Upscale, trendy Additional info: Has heated outdoor patio. Website: Today, on another episode of Jurisfoodence, we will be reviewing Earls Kitchen and Bar, a...
Live at the Montreux Jazz Festival, 5 July 2015 Over the summer I had the great pleasure of seeing one of my favourite bands, The War on Drugs, at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Switzerland, one of the most iconic music festivals in the world. I’ve listened to Lost in the Dream, seemingly on repeat, since its release in March 2014. I am really not sure how to concisely describe it. The music is...
Toronto in the autumn is hot, and I am not talking about our recent heat wave. From international film festivals, exhibits, art fairs and auctions, the arts and culture scene in Toronto seemingly explodes with the coming of the new school year. In this edition, I’ve decided to showcase the must-sees and dos this coming fall season in our glorious city. Artist Textiles: Picasso to Warhol Until 4...
Food Adventure 1: Bar Volo Name: Bar Volo Location: 587 Yonge Street Category: Beer bar Atmosphere: Casual, laid-back Additional info: Has outdoor patio. No reservations taken. Website: Our first review to start the school year is about the well-known beer bar, Bar Volo. Originally opened as an...
A riveting, thought-provoking play by Catherine Frid Catherine mentions that working with J.D. students on the play was an amazing experience. Holder of a law degree herself, she felt right at home exploring issues of law and justice with so many bright people—a perfect collaboration. Children on a school trip parade by me as I wait for the conference room to open in the foyer of Black Creek...